Soundstream STL4.500 4-Channel A/B Amplifier (Black) Review
| Product Code | B002BRYDT4 |
| Product Rating |  |
| Price | $179.56 |
| Where To Buy | See More Details |
| Customer Review | See More Reviews |
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #76006 in Car Audio or Theater
- Color: Black
- Brand: Soundstream
- Model: STL4.500
- Dimensions: 5.00" h x
8.58" w x
16.00" l,
.0 pounds
Features
- RMS Power Rating: 4 ohms: 80 watts x 4 chan., 2 ohms: 125 watts x 4 chan., Bridged, 4 ohms: 250 watts x 2 chan.
- Full MOSFET Power Supply
- Double side PCB and SMD components
- 4-Channel operation
- Black anodized finish w/ chrome accents
- RMS Power Rating: 4 ohms: 80 watts x 4 chan., 2 ohms: 125 watts x 4 chan., Bridged, 4 ohms: 250 watts x 2 chan.
- Full MOSFET Power Supply
- Double side PCB and SMD components
- 4-Channel operation
- Black anodized finish w/ chrome accents
Product Description
Soundstream 4-Channel Amplifier Class A/B Micro Footprint
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
Soundstream quality in a very compact package.
By M. Yatabe
I selected this unit as a budget-conscious alternative to the JL Audio HD series or the ARC Mini series of multi-channel amplifiers. I've known a few people who have gone with the Soundstream brand, and I've always heard good things. If you've read some of my other car audio equipment reviews, you'd know that I have a challenging vehicle in which to try to install equipment (Toyota Tundra 2006 Double-cab), which is why I was interested in finding a compact size amp to add to my system.First off, after unpacking the STL4.500 amp I have to say that I was 'wowed' by the size. I uploaded a picture above where you can see how big it is compared to a PS3 game controller. Since I intend to eventually mount it in a small storage compartment under my back seats, I needed a compact amp, and at just 6.5" wide by 2" tall by 11.25" long, it will fit perfectly. However, being impatient as many of us are and not having taken the time to replace the factory wiring in my doors yet, I went ahead and swapped it into my subwoofer setup. I had a Rockford Fosgate Punch 300.1 that was running my sub, and I thought THAT was a small amp, but the Soundstream is about two-thirds the size of the Rockford. Impressive.Appearance wise, I love the way this little amp looks. The branding isn't overly flashy like it is for some other makers (I'm talking about YOU, Power Acoustik), but the spider badge and iconic Soundstream logo gives enough personality to avoid being boring/bland. Shiny black acrylic top does show fingerprints, so that's one more thing to wipe down if you're putting one or more of these in a show-off ride. The chrome accents are NOT permanently attached, which should be good news to people who find it kinda ugly. (The actual purpose of the chrome accent bars is to use them for brackets if you want to stack multiple Stealth series amps, so they're not just for show.)Installation; I have it mounted under the passenger seat with an 80amp inline fuse at the battery and 4-ga power/ground leads. Power/ground accepts 4-ga size wiring and the speaker terminals up to 8-ga. Soundstream conveniently provides an allen wrench of the appropriate size for tightening the connection terminals, which I thought was a nice touch. I bridged the amp from four channels down to two, so it's supposedly pushing 250 watts x 2 @ 4-ohms to my Alpine Type-R 1242D in a sealed box. I have been hitting it hard for the past couple of weeks, and I haven't had any technical problems yet. The equalization frequencies of the Soundstream are different than the Rockford (which was purpose-built for subs) so the tones hit a little differently, but it's still clean and definitely powerful. Output is comparable to my Rockford... enough that I'm now considering leaving my Rockford on the shelf and purchasing the STL1.600D to brand-match this STL4.500...Class A/B circuitry at 4-ohms doesn't seem to be stressing out too much. It does get warm even while sitting under the seat with adequate venilation, but not burning hot like other analog circuitry amps I've had in the past. This is great for me since I will be attempting to install it in a not-very-well venilated compartment. However, when I DO get around to that, it won't be trying to push the same kind of load it is now, so tempurature shouldn't be an issue. There is thermal protection on the STL4.500 just in case, though, so it shouldn't catch my truck on fire before it overheats... worst case scenario.There are all kinds of dials for settings and equalization (gains front/rear, crossover points, etc.), which is great for an amp that is likely to be used as the heart of your system. My one big complaint, however, is that the wires are at one end, while the RCA connections and settings controls are at the other end. My personal preference is for everything to be on one side or accessible from the top. It took a minimum of tweaking for me to get my amp bridged and adequately dialed in - bearing in mind that I'm currently using this as a subwoofer amp. I'm sure it will take a bit more extra effort to get the settings correct for when I use it for my door speakers.All in all, it's exactly what I had hoped it would be so far. I'll post an update in a few months once I've gotten my act together and upgrade/rewire my door speakers. I will say this; as a sub amp, the STL4.500 is tiny and powerful and economical for what it does. I'm excited to see how it does as a full-range system amp. Very happy with this purchase.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
soundstream amp
By bobbyb
This has to be one of the best 4 channel amps I've ever had the pleasure to purchase. Awesome in every way. A must buy.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful.Awesome little amp
By Cosmo
Due to family constraints (i.e. baby stroller taking up most of the trunk) I downsized from a massive, 3-amp, separate EQ and dual-12" huge sub box system to a single 12 in a small box, one amp and components in the front doors. I was looking for a small, 4-channel amp so I could run the components off one side of the amp and bridge the other side to a single 8-ohm sub. The amp also had to have a variable crossover (not a "hi-pass" switch set at something ridiculous like 150Hz) so that I could tune the system. Though Soundstream is a very well respected name in the mobile electronics arena, at first I was skeptical of the power ratings on this amp. The feature set looked good, so I figured if it delivered at least half of what it's rated for I should be good.I didn't run my multimeter and test tones to check the wattage, but I can tell you that this little sucker punches WAY above it's weight. Class D amplification has come a long way, folks. Used to be Class D amps were noisy and only suited for subs (Hifonics amps from 10 years ago, anyone?). But this thing is quiet, powerful, full-featured and takes up such little room that you'll just scratch your head in wonder. My amps were all 10+ years old and the size of phone books. This amp weighs almost nothing and is the size of a large, paperback book. Amazing. It runs a set of MB Quart Reference separates and a 12" JL Audio sub and pushes them with authority. Loudly and clearly.The amp takes 4-gauge power and ground wires directly and up to 8-gauge wire, directly for the speakers. NICE! NO more spade terminals!The only small negatives I can come up with are as follows.The amp does not have it's own fuse. Normally, I like amps to have their own fuse or breaker. It's another layer of protection. One fuse on the positive power cable within 12" of the battery, then the amp's fuse itself. Make sure you have your main power wire fused as this amp has no fuse/breaker. Finally, the amp pulls some juice and does run hot. It has never shut down on me; it just gets hot. Be sure to leave ventilation room around it. Also, be sure to have 4-gauge power and ground going to it; 8-gauge won't cut it with this amp.Highly recommended for a nice, single amp system!
